Dan /schechter
sage
Reged: 12/21/06
Posts: 365
Loc: Long Beach, Calif.
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It has been a blast following this thread. Please let me know when the next full moon star party is and if I am around, I would love to receive an invite. Dan
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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Here's a shot looking along the tube of John Pons' 10-inch Zeiss from his front yard. That's Jupiter to the left of the palm tree with Antares left below.
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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BHunt
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 12/31/06
Posts: 1384
Loc: NJ and PA
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Know anybody who does palm tree removal? Bill
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
   
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 16351
Loc: Kuiper Belt
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I can.
1 good climber with a harness and spikes.
1 good chainsaw.
1 good groundman.
1 hour.
-------------------- Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, Tektites, Fossils, Minerals, Crystals, & Trinitite.
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droid
rocketman
   
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4041
Loc: ohio
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This is an excellant thread. I just found it during lunch at work. I'm in love , eery time i see that telescope my heart goes pitter patter. ....ok maybe its envy ...but in any case. more please.
-------------------- 12 inch Truss Reflector "John"
102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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twhite
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 01/28/06
Posts: 1389
Loc: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA
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Quote:
I can.
1 good climber with a harness and spikes.
1 good chainsaw.
1 good groundman.
1 hour.
I'll be the groundman. Let's do it.
-------------------- Tony White
Astronomy Club of Tulsa
---
18" f/4.5 Pegasus/homebuilt dob
TMB 152 - TMB 105 - AP 105EDF - Antares Elite 105/1500 - Unitron 102/1500 - Celestron C102F -Celestron C80F - Unitron 131-C - Unitron 140 - Brandon 80 f/6 - Coronado MaxScope 60 0.5A - and more...
Celestron Ultima 11, Orion Optics OMC-140, Celestron CometCatcher
AP1200GTO - AP400GTO - Vixen GP - DiscMount DM-6 -Lapides Tak Teegul - and more...
Garrett GT100-45, Celestron 11x80, Eagle Optics 10x50ED, Celestron 6.5x44ED
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
   
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 16351
Loc: Kuiper Belt
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I know a great climber. But I don't climb. I run the bobcat, chipper, stump grinder, and bucket truck. I chop, slice, dice, haul, lift and drive. But I don't climb higher than 10 feet into a tree!
I'll get on a roof, but I won't climb into a tree canopy.
There's a reason climbers get paid so much money.
-------------------- Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, Tektites, Fossils, Minerals, Crystals, & Trinitite.
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john D
All you have to do is ask!!
   
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 5449
Loc: Midlothian, VA
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wow those are some great scopes!
-------------------- Meade ETX-125
Meade LXD55 mount
Philips SPC900NC webcam
Some Accessories!
My Blog
-Midlothian VA
--Land Of The Free Because Of The Brave--
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Ziggy943
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/11/06
Posts: 1522
Loc: Utah
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Quote:
I know a great climber. But I don't climb. I run the bobcat, chipper, stump grinder, and bucket truck. I chop, slice, dice, haul, lift and drive. But I don't climb higher than 10 feet into a tree!
I'll get on a roof, but I won't climb into a tree canopy.
There's a reason climbers get paid so much money.
Not to worry. With a chain saw the tree will come to you
-------------------- May your skies always be clear,
Ziggy
www.slas.us
4" Mak
#1, 160mm F8 TEC (born 1-18-2007, 27 lbs, 45.5" long), on AP900
6" F17.5 (D&G lens) (first light 6-7-2008)
9" F/14.8 Alvan Clark (1915), on Byers 812
14.25 F/5.5 Newt in a roll off observatory
Others, that have come and gone
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BHunt
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 12/31/06
Posts: 1384
Loc: NJ and PA
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Yep one came to my buddy. He has no more worries. Dangerous business.
Bill
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dbledsoe
scholastic sledgehammer
   
Reged: 06/09/06
Posts: 829
Loc: Boise, Idaho USA
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Lew,
This thread is incredible, no beautiful!. One of the finest I have ever read. You're like a walking history book of astronomy in So. Cal. I also note that you're featured in Robert Piekiel's E-Book, "Celestron The Early Years."
Thank you for sharing so much wonderful history and information with us here on CN Classics. We are indebted to you.
-------------------- Don
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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Here's a recent shot of John Pons with his 10-inch Zeiss. In 1979, John had Daystar custom build him a 0.42-inch aperture, 0.4 lamda 1/2-bandwith solar filter, seen here at the tailpiece.
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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About 10 years ago, John cleaned and collimated the 30cm Carl Zeiss achromat at Griffth Observatory, a task he's done on a number of occasions over the years.
In this shot, you can see the tube straigtening rods behind the objective.
This telescope, built by Carl Zeiss Jena circa 1934 for the new Griffith Observatory being built in Los Angeles, almost didn't get delivered because of the Nazi government's export policies. Pons believes that the less than stellar performance of this achromat was intentional due to these policies.
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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Here we see John replacing the 30cm Zeiss achromat after its cleaning and re-spacing. Note the dew shield on the stool in the background.
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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Here we see John squaring the Carl Zeiss Jena 30cm f/16 achromat with an auto-collimator of his design.
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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Saturday, September 15, 2007 found John Pons taking down his 10-inch Zeiss and 6-inch Goto refractors for the season and storing the components in his garage. And he did it by himself! (Now you know why he's so muscular.)
John says he's getting too old for this and wonders how long he can continue doing it. It's at times like these that he wonders if he should sell the Goto.
In the accompanying picture, John is getting ready to apply a coat of paste Wax to the powder coated tube.
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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BHunt
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 12/31/06
Posts: 1384
Loc: NJ and PA
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Looks like John could do this for several more years.
Bill
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Bonco
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 04/17/06
Posts: 2297
Loc: Florida
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Lew, These pictures are priceless. Please pass on to Jon that he has tremendous respect from classic enthusiasts around the world. Bonco
-------------------- RV6
Meade 2045
6 inch f/4 RFT R. Fagin Optics
TV Genesis
2.4 inch Lafayette Equitorial
3 inch Polarex/Unitron Equitorial
10 inch Zhumell
PST 40mm Solar scope
4 inch F/15 Antares
2.4 inch Unitron Equitorial
Tasco 10K 80mm/1200mm
Towa 339 Restored
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1022
Loc: SoCal
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Hi Bonco,
I think John (not Jon - I asked him) is enjoying the notoriety he's getting from my thread and the ones posted by Caveman. For all of John's tech-savviness, it's confined mostly to telescope design and construction, audio sound systems and electrical theory. (He rebuilt my old 1965 Fisher vacuum tube multiplex receiver to better than new condition. I ditched my solid state Technics receiver.)
Somehow, he's managed to steer clear of computers and won't have anything to do with them. He hadn't seen the pictures of himself or his telescopes on this forum until I brought him to my house about a month ago and showed them to him. I could tell he was really tickled about the publicity but insists that the facts be told accurately.
More to come!
Lew
-------------------- I don't get no respect, but my scopes do!
----------------------------------------------
1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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Bonco
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 04/17/06
Posts: 2297
Loc: Florida
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Thanks Lew, I hope John knows his preservation of these classics is appreciated. Likely he's doing it out of love and dedication and not too concerned about who's looking. Reguardless let him know he has become a hero for many of us interested in these wonderful scopes. He too is a "Classic". Bonco
-------------------- RV6
Meade 2045
6 inch f/4 RFT R. Fagin Optics
TV Genesis
2.4 inch Lafayette Equitorial
3 inch Polarex/Unitron Equitorial
10 inch Zhumell
PST 40mm Solar scope
4 inch F/15 Antares
2.4 inch Unitron Equitorial
Tasco 10K 80mm/1200mm
Towa 339 Restored
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